Giving Compass' Take:

· MDRC published a report on the results of the Young Adult Internship program and its early effects on New York City's disconnected youths.  

· How are internships and work helping to engage youths in the community? How has YAIP made a difference in the lives of the young people involved? 

· Read and learn more about reengaging disconnected youths. 

For many young people, the time between one’s late teenage years and early twenties encompasses several important milestones, including graduating from high school, attending college, entering the workforce, and beginning to establish economic independence. However, 12.3 percent of young people in the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 — 4.9 million young people in total — are neither in school nor working. These “disconnected” or “opportunity” youth face serious challenges to achieving success in the labor market and self-sufficiency in adulthood.

The Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) is intended to help reengage young people who have fallen off track, thereby reducing their risk of long-term economic hardship. The New York City Center for Economic Opportunity and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development oversee the program and community-based provider organizations throughout the city deliver it. YAIP offers young people a 10- to 12-week paid internship, along with various other services, including job-readiness workshops and activities; individual support, counseling, and assessments; case management; and follow-up services.

MDRC is conducting a random assignment evaluation of YAIP to determine whether the program makes a difference in the lives of the young people it serves. The study is part of the larger Subsidized and Transitional Employment Demonstration, sponsored by the Administration of Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From July 2013 to March 2014, nearly 2,700 young people were assigned, at random, to either a program group, which was offered YAIP services, or to a control group, which was not offered those services. The study will measure outcomes for both groups over time to assess whether YAIP services led to better outcomes for the program group compared with the control group.

Read the full article about reengaging disconnected youths by Melanie Skemer, Arielle Sherman, Sonya Williams and Danielle Cummings at MDRC.